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What is the Kanji for 'Surname' and 'Family name'? | 姓

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for 'Surname' and 'Family name', you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for 'Surname' and 'Family name' is 姓.

    kanji

    姓

    Meaning

    Surname, Family name

    Reading

    onyomiしょう

    shou

    せい

    sei

    Parts

    女Woman 生Life

    Example Word

    百姓: farmer. The Japanese noun '百姓 (ひゃくしょう)' historically refers to a farmer or peasant. It is an older term that was commonly used in feudal Japan to describe people who worked in agriculture. While it is still understood today, it can carry a somewhat outdated or even derogatory connotation in modern usage, depending on the context. For example: The farmer works hard「百姓は一生懸命働く」(ひゃくしょうはいっしょうけんめいはたらく). In the past, farmers were called '百姓'「昔、農民は百姓と呼ばれていた」(むかし、のうみんはひゃくしょうとよばれていた). It is important to note that in contemporary Japanese, the term '農民 (のうみん)' or '農家 (のうか)' is more commonly used to refer to farmers in a neutral or respectful way.

    Radical

    女

    Stroke Count

    8

    JLPT

    N2

    Grade

    7

    Frequency

    949

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji 姓

If you visually break down this kanji, you can see it is made up of 2 parts:

    kanji

    女

    Meaning

    Woman

    kanji

    生

    Meaning

    Life

Words Using 姓

This kanji is used in 3 words:

    word

    姓

    Meaning

    Surname

    word

    同姓

    Meaning

    Same surname

    word

    百姓

    Meaning

    Farmer

Kanji Related to 姓 Through the Part 女

These 38 kanji contain the part 女 as well.

    kanji

    媒

    Meaning

    Intermediary, Mediator

    kanji

    妖

    Meaning

    Bewitched

    kanji

    婆

    Meaning

    Old woman

    kanji

    媛

    Meaning

    Princess, Beauty

    kanji

    姫

    Meaning

    Princess

    kanji

    娯

    Meaning

    Enjoyment, Recreation

    kanji

    妙

    Meaning

    Exquisite, Marvelous

    kanji

    妄

    Meaning

    Irrational, Reckless

    kanji

    婦

    Meaning

    Lady

    kanji

    委

    Meaning

    Committee

    kanji

    桜

    Meaning

    Cherry

    kanji

    婚

    Meaning

    Marriage

    kanji

    数

    Meaning

    Number

    kanji

    嫉

    Meaning

    Envy, Jealous

    kanji

    要

    Meaning

    Important, Need

    kanji

    妻

    Meaning

    Wife

    kanji

    妊

    Meaning

    Pregnant, Swollen

    kanji

    姻

    Meaning

    Marriage, Marry

    kanji

    如

    Meaning

    As, Likeness

    kanji

    婿

    Meaning

    Bridegroom, Groom

    kanji

    嫁

    Meaning

    Marry, Bride

    kanji

    嫡

    Meaning

    Legitimate heir, Legitimate wife

    kanji

    妥

    Meaning

    Gentle, Come to terms

    kanji

    妃

    Meaning

    Princess, Queen

    kanji

    娠

    Meaning

    Pregnant, Pregnancy

    kanji

    妨

    Meaning

    Hinder, Disturb

    kanji

    始

    Meaning

    Begin

    kanji

    威

    Meaning

    Might, Intimidate

    kanji

    娘

    Meaning

    Daughter, Girl

    kanji

    嬢

    Meaning

    Lass, Young lady

    kanji

    嫌

    Meaning

    Dislike

    kanji

    好

    Meaning

    Like, Fond

    kanji

    妬

    Meaning

    Envy, Jealous

    kanji

    姉

    Meaning

    Older sister

    kanji

    妹

    Meaning

    Younger sister

    kanji

    奴

    Meaning

    Servant, Dude

    kanji

    安

    Meaning

    Cheap, Relax

    kanji

    姿

    Meaning

    Shape, Figure

Kanji Related to 姓 Through the Part 生

These 6 kanji contain the part 生 as well.

    kanji

    星

    Meaning

    Star

    kanji

    隆

    Meaning

    Hump, Prosper

    kanji

    麦

    Meaning

    Wheat

    kanji

    牲

    Meaning

    Sacrifice, Offering

    kanji

    産

    Meaning

    Give birth

    kanji

    性

    Meaning

    Gender, Sex

Learn the Kanji 姓

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 姓 mean?

姓 means 'Surname' and 'Family name'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in Junior Highschool, while non-native learners often study it for the JLPT N2 exam.

To help you master this kanji, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.